Station: [1] Greeting: Telling a story

Welcome to the heart of the Ruhr, to the renaissance castle Horst in Gelsenkirchen. This castle – or rather, what is left of it – was built between 1554 and 1573. Today, it is considered one of the most distinguished renaissance structures in the entire region. The former owner used buildings in Italy and France as examples. The neighbouring Netherlands did, however, also have an influence.

Stories from times long gone by may well be fascinating, nonetheless, the past has the habit of being silent, at least initially – nothing speaks for itself. History must always be made to speak. This is hard work – and frequently requires a measure of tenacity. The history of the renaissance castle Horst is no exception, requiring laborious reconstruction, many separate parts need to be combined to form a coherent story. A scientific construction site, if you will, on which historians, archaeologists and architectural historians employ their respective tools of the trade to uncover and work on all the stories you are about to hear and see in this museum. Should you feel informed in an entertaining manner, the scientists involved have done their job well over the past years. We invite you to form your own impression ...”